Cong hands waved in Kohima; NPF cock crowed in Dimapur
Newmai News Network
Dimapur/Kohima | March 27
It is a case of the ‘tale of two cities’.
The two cities of Nagaland, Kohima and Dimapur, today witnessed simultaneous political events. Ironically, Congress hands waved in the Nagaland capital Kohima, which is an NPF stronghold, while the NPF cock crowed in the state commercial hub Dimapur, a Congress bastion.
Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, while addressing the crowd at the Naga People’s Front poll kick-off at Dimapur Stadium, said hundreds of crores of rupees were sanctioned for Nagaland during the time of the NDA government under Atal Behari Vajpayee but when the UPA government came, the funds were blocked from being released.
Around the same time, 72km away in Kohima, Rahul Gandhi was saying Nagaland is going backward while other States are advancing. He accused the Rio government of indulging in rampant corruption.
Again, while Rio promised the people of Nagaland to keep the early settlement of the Indo-Naga issue as his top priority if he is elected to the Parliament, Rahul Gandhi said the UPA Government has taken a “bold decision” to invite the NSCN for talks.
KV Pusa is the Congress candidate for the LS polls while Neiphiu Rio is the candidate fielded by the NPF supported by BJP, JD-U and NCP.
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‘Government at centre blocked Nagaland development funds’
Neiphiu Rio kick starts NPF’s election campaign
Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 27
Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio kicked off the Naga People’s Front (NPF) campaign for the Lok Sabha polls from Dimapur Stadium today.
He said the UPA Government wants to have the Look East Policy without touching Nagaland.
Citing a case, Rio said during the NDA tenure, the then Union Railway minister Nitish Kumar had inaugurated the rail-line for Numaligarh-Dimapur-Imphal-Moreh as part of the Look East Policy but after the UPA Government had come, it was diverted to Silchar-Tupul-Imphal-Moreh leaving Nagaland. When asked why it happened, “we were informed that the chief minister of Manipur Ibobi and the chief minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi with the UPA Government had done it,” Rio stated, adding, “This is how the Congress party plays.”
Rio then lamented that when other Congress ruled States have all the development, Nagaland is neglected.
“Nagaland has no national or regional institutes,” he pointed out. “The Congress party accused us that there was no development in the State. How can the State be developed when their government at the Centre blocked the development funds?” Rio asked.
Rio then accused Manipur chief minister Ibobi Singh and the Congress government of creating problems. “One community pitched against the other in Manipur and this is the creation of Ibobi Singh and his government,” alleged Rio.
The NPF LS poll candidate promised the people of Nagaland in today’s programme that he will pursue the early settlement of the Indo-Naga issue as his top priority if elected to the Parliament. “If I am elected, I can push for the solution of the political problem,” Rio said today. “The Naga movement is the mother of all insurgency problems in the North East. So, if you resolve it, you can resolve the others,” he observed.
Rio assured “good position” if NDA comes to power
Meanwhile, BJP national vice president Bijoya Chakraborty assured a “good position” to Neiphiu Rio if the latter is elected to the Parliament in the event of the NDA coming to power.
Addressing the poll kick-off for Rio today at Dimapur Stadium here, Bijoya Chakraborty, who is also a sitting MP from Assam, said Rio is sacrificing his “chiefministership” to take the voice of his people to the Parliament. She lauded Rio and assured that under the Prime Ministership of Narendra Modi, Neiphiu Rio will get a “good position.”
The national vice president of BJP then accused the UPA government for neglecting Nagaland for the past several years. She said not once Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had visited Nagaland during his two consecutive terms but Atal Bihari Vajpajee did during the NDA days.
Chakraborty termed the Congress as the Mother-Son duo party. She also termed the Congress in Assam as Father-Son party referring to Tarun Gogoi and his son.
Also speaking on the occasion at Dimapur was Atul Bora, co-convenor of North East Regional Parties Front. “I heard Rahul is here today. What will he do here? He does not know anything. Rahul Gandhi is an immature boy,” Atul Bora said, who is also the Working President of the Asom Gana Parishad.
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Accuses Chief Minister of Nagaland on various fronts
Chizokho Vero
Kohima | March 27
AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi today said that he is going to be the special representative for the people of the North East in Delhi. In this, he called upon the people to come at anytime and feel free to speak to him, saying his door is always open for them.
In an election campaign for INC candidate, K.V. Pusa, held here today for the Lok Sabha polls, Rahul said he wanted to help build a “peaceful and prosperous” Nagaland and North East.
Touching on the Naga political issue, he said that Chief Minister of Nagaland promised to deliver settlement in three months. Rio, said Rahul, made a promise which he could not deliver. He said the UPA government has taken a bold decision to invite leaders of the NSCN for talks.
Rahul stated that “whatever energy I have to help with the resolution of the problem I will put to help the State of Nagaland.” “But I will not tell from this stage that the problem will be solved in three months like the chief minister did,” he said. In politics, Rahul maintained, the heart is more important than words. “My heart is trying to get you peace and harmony in the State,” he said.
Touching on development, he said that Nagaland is one of the few states in India that is actually going backward. “Because after a long time in reverse gear the engine gets into trouble, instead of making promises the chief minister should at least put Nagaland into first gear,” he said.
Rahul noted that Nagaland’s growth rate has gone down from 8.3% to 3.7%. He said that in last 17 months the central government has paid Rs. 300 crore for the construction of four roads in Nagaland but not a single stretch of road has been completed. Moreover, he said, the DAN government wanted to revise the estimate by more than two and half times.
Rahul maintained that no State can move forward without empowering its women. “We know that the traditional Naga society has respect and a place for women,” he said. He, however, stated that we have to ensure that women of Nagaland get a place in education and a place in the governance of the country.
He informed that the UPA government has reserved 50% seats for lo cal government and is planning to reserve 33% in the parliament for women. He also stated that Congress wants to build dedicated police stations for women and also to reserve large number of post for women in the police forces.
The AICC leader said the single biggest problem in the North East is connectivity, adding that there is lack of quality road and connectivity in the region. In this respect, he said the next government is going to focus on drastically increasing the roads, railways and aircrafts infrastructure in the North East.
“We are building four industrial corridors in the country,” he said.
Stating that he is a “big supporter” of the Look East Policy of the Prime Minister, Rahul said it is not only important to connect Nagaland and other North Eastern states with roads, railways and aircrafts to India but also to connect the North East to Asia and the rest of the world.
“We are committed in the next government to create 100 million jobs for the youngsters of the country,” he said adding that this is only going to be possible “if we connect North East and other parts of the India to each other.”
He also stated the ideology of Congress is about love, peace and brotherhood.
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